Pine Mountain Railroad

by Kevin Kerfoot, 08/02/2004

Picture an old locomotive, smokestack boiling up a cloud of thick smoke as it powers the massive train down the track, its headlight blazing a path deep into the black of night. This is Pine Mountain Railroad. And with it comes the dynamic power of bluegrass music being propelled headlong into the future.

At the throttle of this engine is Kipper Stitt, who originally volunteered himself and business associates Mike Gwinn and Jimbo Whaley to answer the call from the Pigeon Forge Department of Tourism to provide music at the American Bus Association’s national convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. As a result of Stitt’s volunteert spirit, the three formed what would become Pine Mountain Railroad in September of 1998. Practice sessions for the group’s initial appearance were held at Mike’s office on Pine Mountain Road in Pigeon Forge. “A few weeks later the guys and I were talking about a name and I said that maybe ‘express’ or ‘railroad’ should be part of it because of the power and dynamics trains call to mind,” recalls Stitt.

After discussion of several more ideas along this line, it was decided that Pine Mountain Railroad seemed to fit just right - and so a band name was born.

Today, Pine Mountain Railroad is one of the most sought-after bands in the business. Their annual performance schedule looks like one that only a train - and a fast-moving one at that - could fulfill. For the calendar year 2004, Pine Mountain Railroad will perform over 150 shows in 19 states stretching from Maine to California - plus Canada and the Bahamas. Looking at their schedule for 2005, the band shows every sign it will be even busier next year.

In just over five years, Pine Mountain Railroad has gained a national record deal with CMH Records in Los Angeles, California; a major corporate sponsorship with Odom’s Tennessee Pride Real Country Sausage; nominations as IBMA Emerging Artist of the Year in 2003; selection as the California Bluegrass Association’s 2004 Emerging Artist of the Year; its current album and single, The Old Radio, charting near the top of most major bluegrass polls; a fully-equipped tour bus; and other major sponsorships, including Gibson Original Acoustic Instruments, GHS Strings, Yamaha Corporation of America, Shure Microphones, and First Quality Music Supplies.

Like most bands in the music business, there have been changes and growth in the roster. Now a five-piece band, the only original member remaining is founder, banjoist and baritone vocalist Stitt, who is from Orlando, Florida.

Originally from Jacksboro, Tennessee, Bill McBee joined the group in early 2001 as bassist and bass vocalist. Clint Damewood of Knoxville, Tennessee, one of the country’s premier fiddlers and the group’s youngest member, was brought on board the train in time for its summer schedule of 2001; he also sings baritone and tenor. Mandolinist and tenor vocalist Danny Barnes of Richmond, Kentucky joined the band in March 2003 and brought with him a wealth of bluegrass experience. The band’s newest member, Knoxville, Tennessee’s Jerry Butler, sings lead vocals and plays guitar. His joining the band was announced while Pine Mountain Railroad was playing at Merle Fest in late April 2004.

Stitt, who plays a Gibson Style 5 Wreath Mastertone model banjo as well as a Gibson Jerry Douglas model Dobro, and Barnes, who plays a Gibson F-5 Sam Bush model mandolin, are both sponsored by Gibson Original Instruments. McBee, who plays an acoustic French-carved bass as well as a Yamaha electric upright, and Damewood, who plays both the acosutic and Yamaha electric fiddle, are both Yamaha Performing Artists. Butler, who plays a Martin D-28 guitar, recently released his own self-titled independent recording project on which he demonstrates some fine lead guitar work.

Pine Mountain Railroad’s association with Odom’s Tennessee Pride Real Country Sausage came about through making a demo of their theme song and presenting a proposal to their director of marketing. Soon, Pine Mountain Railroad was in a Knoxville studio recording the familiar theme song - bluegrass style - which Tennessee Pride has used literally thousands of times in its national advertising program on stations of just about every imaginable format. Pine Mountain Railroad’s performance of the theme song is used every Saturday night on the Tennessee Pride portion of WSM’s Grand Ole Opry.

Pine Mountain Railroad plans to be back in the studio in August 2004. The group’s newest project for CMH Records is being produced by Ronnie Bowman and engineered by Ben Surratt and will be recorded in Nashville. “Plans are already underway to make this the most exciting and definitive Pine Mountain Railroad project to date,” according to Stitt. “As has come to be expected with Pine Mountain Railroad, this project will feature almost entirely original material, much of it originating from within the band itself. “Each current band member has written material for this project and we’re working hard to get the arrangements just the way they need to be done,” Stitt added.

reprinted with permission from
July/Aug 04 Bluegrass Music Profiles Magazine

Click here to visit Pine Mountain Railroad website